Rev. Rick Warren- Resurgence Leadership Conference 2013.

Pastor Mark Driscoll has been putting on a conference and this past you conference has been one of the best to date. Rev. Rick Warren teaching can be found Here and to find out more about the Resurgence Leadership Conference click http://theresurgence.com. Pastor Mark invited Rick Warren to share to follow pastors about a lesson that would help each of them.

Summary of the Teaching. Anything I would type does not do this teaching justice. Rick Warren got down to the essence of how and why some people have the anointing on their life and others don't. The four concepts he talked about were integrity, humility, generosity, and faith. He talked about how each of the first three can combat the three attacks that Satan sends to leaders. Rev Warren says, "The last is by which God work, in-through-by-for-to-with you."

Rev Warren continues, "God is looking for people to use and if you are usable, he will wear you out. The problem is most people are not willing to pay the cost. There is a price tag and price tag is a cost of character. Character comes through pain, suffering, criticism, and difficulties. It doesn't come through popularity and ease, or getting your way every time, it comes through conflict."

The three temptations Satan uses he continues to use. The three are the "Lust of the Flesh"-Passion, "Lust of the Eyes"-Possession, and "Pride of Life" Position. Sex, Salary, and Status is another way to put the three.

"Lust of the Flesh" is the temptation to feel. It is the temptation to wanting to feel good. It could be anything we use to make our self feel good. I could be sex, TV, food, drugs, sports, drink, or any kind of pleasure that we use to feel good.

"Lust of the Eyes" is the temptation to have. I see it and I want it. The lust of the eye is greed.

"Pride of Life" the temptation to be. I want to be loved, to be known, to be famous, to be envied, to be worshiped, other people to think that I am better than them.

The temptations of Adam and even Jesus can be seen to fit the three. First Temptation of Jesus is the "Lust of the Flesh", Second is the "Lust of the Eyes", and the last is the "Pride of Life."

First Temptation- You will be tempted to use the gifts that God has given you for your own purpose. To feed yourself, to meet your needs. That is sin. You will be tempted to use your own abilities to meet your needs. This is seen with Jesus being tempted to use his power that God gave him to meet a need he had. Jesus power for not for himself but for the glory of God and the people Jesus was sent too.

Second Temptation- You will be tempted to compromise your message because a deacon in your church has a condo you would like to use or a boat, or someone to pay our dinner. Your being bought off. It is the lust of the eyes. It is the desire of material things or possessions. Jesus was tempted with all the riches and the things in the world. This is the "Lust of the Eyes."

Third Temptation- You will be tempted to show off in your ministry. The temptation to do the spectacular. The temptation to use your ministry to show off. Satan temps Jesus with the possibility of him jumping from the top of the temple and angels saving Jesus. Then people would worship Jesus because of the cool thing that happened. There is nothing wrong with Jesus being worshiped but God intend him not be be worshiped by showing off but by dying on the cross.

The way to combat each of the three are integrity, humility, and generosity.
Integrity- This combats the "Lust of the Flesh." You live your life the same with people and without people. It is doing the right thing and being the same every day. Being real. The moment you change from situation to situation, the more your integrity is weakened. It isn't a piece of the pie, it is the whole pie. One aspect of sin in any part of your life will ruin or destroy your whole life.

Generosity- This combats the "Lust of the Eyes." The only antidote to Lust of the Eyes is learning to be generous. Some people trust God with their salvation but not their money. Every time you give, you break the grip of materialism and you become more like Jesus. You can give without loving but you can't love without giving.

Humility- This combats the "Pride of Life." Humility is not devaluing yourself or denying your strengths, it is being honest about your weaknesses. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses but humility is being honest about both. Their is no growth without pain and weakness. Being humble is about admitting to yourself and to others what that really is.

Reflection-
Rev Rick Warren spoke to me with this message. Far too often, I see myself and other pastors make this small mistakes that starts to make wholes in our character. God wants to use everyone for his purpose but people are not willing to pay the price to be used by God. That is the cost of character.

I see that in ministry, I have bended a little to each of this things and had stood against others. I find myself getting closer and closer to the things I shouldn't do but it is a slippery slope and sometimes you fall a little further than other times. The more you fall the more your character is hurt and you must work twice as hard to repair that character.

It seems so easy to look at each of these temptations and to think it can't be that bad. It can't hurt this one time. It can't hurt me forever. Well Satan uses that lie to get each of us closer and closer to where he wants us and not where God needs us. The lie about the apple from the tree of knowledge was one of it can't be that bad. The lie, everyone is doing it so it can't be that bad, is one that I hear often. But sin is sin, temptation is temptation. God wants our character to shine for him.

After listening to this, I have a stronger drive to have God's full anointing in my life. I will try to preserve and grow the character I need to do the things that God wants me to do. I will keep integrity, humility, and generosity in my life so that one day, I hope that God will say "well done" to me.

Till next time.
Benjamin Marc Grenier